"Let me be clear. Washington state has a zero tolerance policy on radioactive leaks. We will not tolerate any leaks of this material into our environment. Our highest priority is the security at this site. And we have got to make sure that we are sequestering radioactive material in these tanks and not accepting a federal sequestration that threatens the continued viability and clean-up at Hanford," he added.

WashPIRG, a nonpartisan consumer advocacy group based in Seattle, has been keeping an close eye on Hanford for decades.

"Well, today's news is to be honest shocking, but at the same time we could have anticipated it because it's another reminder that there is no proven way to safely dispose of radioactive waste," Micaela Preskill said.

Micaela Preskill, an advocate for WashPIRG, hopes this latest leak will cause enough alarm to finally make Hanford clean up a top priority for the federal government.

"So it really is a huge crisis and something that we must address," she added.